On the East Coast, Wt Coast and heartland stat between them, LGBT ndidat sred a raft of notable midterm electn victori — wng two ernorships, at least ne seats Congrs, and their first-ever legislative seats Indiana, Kansas and Nebraska. The head of the LGBTQ Victory Fund, which recs and assists LGBT ndidat, said many of the wners Tuday's electns were motivated by ncerns over the Tmp admistratn's rollback of protectns for transgenr people. "We've worked hard to achieve the rights we have today," said the fund's CEO, former Hoton Mayor Annise Parker. "But we realize we're still a vulnerable posn many plac." From Parker's perspective, the highlights were many. In Colorado, U.S. Rep. Jared Polis beme the first openly gay man elected as a ernor of any state. In Wisns, Tammy Baldw — who 2012 beme the first openly gay person to w a U.S. Senate seat — easily won re-electn spe beg targeted by outsi nservative groups that spent lns attackg her. In rac for the U.S. hoe, a rerd eight LGBT ndidat won seats for the Democrats. Four cumbents— Mark Takano of California, Sean Patrick Maloney of New York, David Cicille of Rho Island and Mark Pon of Wisns — will be joed January by newers Katie Hill of California, Sharice Davids of Kansas, Angie Craig of Mnota and Chris Pappas of New Hampshire. For two other LGBT ndidat, their rac were too close to ll — U.S. Rep. Kyrsten Sema's bid for a U.S. Senate seat Arizona and Ga Ortiz Jon' race for a U.S. Hoe seat Texas. Hill, Davids and Craig were among a batch of Democratic wners who flipped ntrol of GOP-held Hoe seats, overg ial skepticism that LGBT ndidat were not bt-sued for that challenge. "We saw LGBTQ ndidat talk openly about their liv to a gree unseen past electns — and ronated wh voters," Parker said. In Mnota, Craig featured her wife and their sons TV ads en route to wng a rematch agast GOP Rep. Jason Lewis the Tw Ci' suburban 2nd District. "What I say is my wife and I have four sons, jt like any other polician would," Craig said durg the mpaign. "It'd be ol to be the first openly gay member of Congrs om Mnota, but that's not why I'm nng." In Kansas' 3rd District, near Kansas Cy, Davids unseated four-term GOP cumbent Kev Yor. Beg lbian was only one aspect of an eye-tchg bgraphy — she's also Native Amerin, a lawyer, a former Whe Hoe fellow, and a past petor mixed martial arts. "From the begng, this mpaign has been built on brgg new lears to the table, and new voic to the table," she said her victory speech. In New Hampshire, Pappas did not strs his LGBT stat durg the mpaign, but reacted wh passn durg a bate when his GOP rival, Eddie Edwards, qutned why Pappas had been photographed wearg a "Rist" T-shirt. "The photo you are referrg to is a rabow shirt I wore at a gay pri event," Pappas said. "I am proud of who I am and I am proud to stand up agast hate, bigotry and tolerance." In Colorado, which was bet by gay-rights ntroversi the past, Polis' succsful mpaign for ernor was strikg that his LGBT stat never beme a mpaign issue. "We went om a state where our elected officials stggled to provi even basic rights to same-sex upl to a state where a gay man ran for ernor and his sexual orientatn wasn't discsed as a polil liabily," The Denver Post wrote an edorial. Kayla DeShon, an pennt voter om the Denver suburb of Highlands Ranch, said she voted for Polis bee of his stance on health re. "I did not know he is gay. I found out afterward — was an add bon," said DeShon, 29. "And I do thk that don't matter." Polis will jo Oregon's Kate Brown as the only LGBT ernors. Brown, who intifi as bisexual, narrowly won re-electn over Republin Knute Buehler. In state legislative rac, the Victory Fund projects that about 130 LGBT ndidat will w seats — all but two of them Democrats. That would be up om 121 LGBT legislators headg to the electn, acrdg to the fund. Wng a state Senate seat Utah was Derek Kchen, a cy uncilor Salt Lake Cy who rose to promence when his lawsu overturned Utah's ban on gay marriage several years ago. Voters Omaha elected an openly bisexual ndidate, Megan Hunt, to the Nebraska Senate. In New Hampshire, two transgenr women, Gerri Cannon and Lisa Bunker, won seats the state Hoe of Reprentativ. A third transgenr woman, Brianna Tone, was locked a too-close-to-ll race for the Colorado Hoe. Unofficial near-plete returns showed Tone wh a 12-vote lead after more than 47,000 vot were st. Among LGBT victors elsewhere was Dana Nsel, elected as Michigan's attorney general. Nsel ma headl as -unsel the historic lawsu that led to same-sex marriage Michigan. She said the outgog GOP attorney general, Bill Schuette, "ma a mockery of state ernment" by brgg social scientists to urt to nigrate the parentg skills of same-sex upl. "There are LGBTQ people clamorg for reprentatn and tired of the office of attorney general g them as a punchg bag," Nsel said durg the mpaign. In Massachetts, voters soundly feated an attempted repeal of a 2016 state law extendg nondiscrimatn protectns to transgenr people the e of rtrooms and other public acmodatns. The oute was hailed by Parker, who was mayor of Hoton 2015 when a trans-clive civil-rights ordance was repealed a referendum. Opponents of the ordance played upon public fears wh the slogan, "No Men Women's Bathrooms." Parker said Massachetts voters, havg lived wh the state law for two years, didn't buy such rhetoric. "They realized was pletely ane fear," she said. ___ Associated Prs wrer Jam Anrson Denver ntributed to this report. __ Follow David Crary at
Contents:
- COLORADO'S JARED POLIS, THE FIRST OPENLY GAY MAN ELECTED ERNOR, ADDRS 'HORRIFIC' SHOOTG AT AN LGBTQ CLUB
- JARED POLIS MAK HISTORY AS AMERI'S FIRST ELECTED OPENLY GAY MALE GOVERNOR
- GAY GOVERNORS: MRA HEALEY, TA KOTEK, JARED POLIS W
- AMERI’S FIRST GAY ELECTED ERNOR WAS SWORN & LGBTQ PEOPLE CELEBRATED WH HIM
- WHAT 'S LIKE BEG AMERI'S FIRST OPENLY GAY ERNOR
- MEET CALIFORNIA'S FIRST OPENLY GAY ERNOR — FOR A FEW HOURS, ANYWAY
- COLORADO’S GOT A GAY GOVERNOR. WHO CAR?
- POLIS, 1ST OPENLY GAY ERNOR ELECTED, MARRI COLORADO
- MRA HEALEY IS FIRST WOMAN AND FIRST OUT GAY PERSON ELECTED MASSACHETTS ERNOR
- DIPLOMATIC TENSN REPORTEDLY RISG BETWEEN UNED STAT AND JAMAI OVER GAY AMERIN DIPLOMAT
- JAGUARS ASSOCIATE STRENGTH ACH OUT AS GAY A FIRST FOR US-BASED PRO LEAGU
COLORADO'S JARED POLIS, THE FIRST OPENLY GAY MAN ELECTED ERNOR, ADDRS 'HORRIFIC' SHOOTG AT AN LGBTQ CLUB
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, the first openly gay man elected ernor the Uned Stat, on Sunday cried Saturday's “horrific” adly shootg at a Colorado Sprgs LGBTQ nightclub. * gay governor *
Jared Polis, the first openly gay man elected ernor the Uned Stat, on Sunday cried Saturday's “horrific” adly shootg at a Colorado Sprgs LGBTQ nightclub. He first won elected office 2008 and beme, his words, “the first openly gay parent to w a seat Congrs. In addn to beg Colorado's first openly gay ernor, he is also the state's first Jewish ConcepcnSummer Concepcn is a polics reporter for NBC News.
Colorado Congrsman Jared Polis ma history Tuday night by beg the first openly gay man to be elected ernor of a U. ” Mary Parker, print and CEO of the Victory Fund, a natnwi anizatn that supports LGBTQ ndidat, told the Denver Post of Polis’ victory: “The fact that the state of Colorado, 25 years, has gone om beg dubbed the ‘Hate State’ to a place that n elect someone who is not jt openly gay, but publicly gay, that’s historic.
JARED POLIS MAK HISTORY AS AMERI'S FIRST ELECTED OPENLY GAY MALE GOVERNOR
The number of openly gay ernors the Uned Stat went om one to three followg Tuday's midterm electns * gay governor *
The number of openly gay ernors. history by electg two openly gay Democrats to lead their stat.
woman and the first gay person ever elected Governor of. Republin Christe Drazan to bee the state's first openly gay.
GAY GOVERNORS: MRA HEALEY, TA KOTEK, JARED POLIS W
Only 26% of Amerins said they would vote for a gay or lbian ndidate 40 years ago. But as Colorado’s Jared Polis has disvered, is now a non-issue for many voters<br> * gay governor *
In 2018, Polis beme the first openly gay man elected ernor the Uned Stat. Jared Polis is now officially the first gay elected ernor Amerin history. “This is a moment history, ” said Joschua Ber, a gay teacher who attend the guratn.
“This is Colorado gettg to set an example for the entire untry that someone who is gay and Jewish n be ernor of a state as great as ours.
Jared Polis is beg sworn as the first openly Gay Governor of Colorado. In 2004, New Jersey ernor Jim McGreevey beme Ameri’s first gay ernor.
AMERI’S FIRST GAY ELECTED ERNOR WAS SWORN & LGBTQ PEOPLE CELEBRATED WH HIM
Toni Atks beme California's first openly gay ernor on Wednday -- for a perd of roughly ne hours. * gay governor *
He was outed while office; one of his polil appote threatened to file a sexual harassment su agast McGreevey and the ernor me out as “a gay Amerin. The breakout star of the ntt to bee the Democratic party’s nomee the 2020 race for the Whe Hoe is Pete Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and the first openly gay elected official to n for print. ”In 1978, jt 26% of Amerins said they would vote for a gay or lbian ndidate, acrdg to pollster Gallup.
There is livg proof of this warp speed transformatn Colorado, which ls than three s has gone om notoriety as a homophobic “hate state” to electg Ameri’s first openly gay ernor. “This is a much higher-profile posn, and of urse nng as an openly gay uple, that gave an even higher profile, ” says Reis. ‘This is a much higher-profile posn, and of urse nng as an openly gay uple, that gave an even higher profile.
WHAT 'S LIKE BEG AMERI'S FIRST OPENLY GAY ERNOR
Colorado elected a rich, gay, Jewish ernor. It’s eher a historic moment or progrs-wh-a-shg — or both. * gay governor *
“When I was growg up there were people on televisn that reprented stereotyp of what people associated beg gay wh and was tertg, you viewed through a tunnel visn, ” he rells, addg that when he was high school, he felt “GSAs – gay straight allianc – didn’t exist; at least at my school they weren’t prent”.
She said: ‘When I signed up to have a gay bt iend I thought that you would be takg me out shoppg, ’ and I said: ‘I n’t stand shoppg. ”But would an openly gay ndidate have been nceivable when you were growg up here?
I went out and bought every book on homosexualy. All I knew was homosexuals were creepy moltg typ.
MEET CALIFORNIA'S FIRST OPENLY GAY ERNOR — FOR A FEW HOURS, ANYWAY
Colorado's Jared Polis, who beme the first openly gay man the Uned Stat to be elected ernor 2018, has married his longtime partner and first gentleman Marlon Reis, a wrer and animal welfare advote. Polis, 46, and Reis, 40, were married a tradnal Jewish ceremony attend by fay and iends Boulr on Wednday, the ernor's office said. Rabbi Tirzah Firtone officiated. * gay governor *
It was set up by Tim Gill, a wealthy software veloper who, along wh Polis, Pat Stryker and Rutt Bridg – Colorado’s “gang of four” – spent many lns of dollars on gay rights and other liberal , helpg turn Colorado’s general assembly om Republin to Democratic 2004. ”Polis’s sexualy was important to gay rights activists but no one else, Caldara add.
Nobody I know on the right is upset bee he’s gay; we’re upset bee he’s stroyg the state of Colorado and turng to California. ”Back at the vio rerdg, an terviewer asks him directly: “How do feel to be the first openly gay man elected ernor the Uned Stat?
Eric Marc, creator and host of the Makg Gay History podst, says: “It’s a non-story but I also feel very exced ’s a non-story. Is Ameri ready for a gay print? Toni Atks beme California's first openly gay ernor on Wednday -- for a perd of roughly ne hours.
COLORADO’S GOT A GAY GOVERNOR. WHO CAR?
Gov. Gav Newsom is takg on nservative Temecula Valley Unified school officials over textbooks that discs sla gay activist Harvey Milk. * gay governor *
Assembly Speaker]Toni Atks, D-San Diego, (R) walks hand hand wh her spoe, Jennifer LeSar, to the rostm of the Assembly where she took the oath of office as the 69th Assembly Speaker at the Capol Sacramento, Calif., on May 12, 30, 2014, 9:49 PM UTC / Updated July 30, 2014, 10:16 PM UTCCalifornia Assembly Speaker Toni Atks beme the Goln State's first openly gay ernor on Wednday -- for a perd of roughly ne to the travel schl of Democratic Gov. ”Atks is only the send openly gay ernor the U.
POLIS, 1ST OPENLY GAY ERNOR ELECTED, MARRI COLORADO
* gay governor *
He rigned shortly openly gay person has ever been elected ernor. Benjam Rasmsen for The New York TimColorado elected a rich, gay, Jewish ernor. — On Tuday, the first openly gay man elected ernor Amerin history was sworn , his partner at his si.
MRA HEALEY IS FIRST WOMAN AND FIRST OUT GAY PERSON ELECTED MASSACHETTS ERNOR
Colorado Democratic Gov. Jared Polis, who 2018 beme the first openly gay man ever elected ernor the U.S., wed his longtime partner on Wednday. * gay governor *
Constuents voted for him by a more-than-10-pot marg, a state whose swg on gay rights the last three s n be scribed as a plete about-face. Even Colorado, once known as the “Hate State” for s anti-gay polici, Mr. Polis's gayns was “tertgly untertg to voters, ” as the nservative lumnist Gee F.
Polis, 43, a five-term ngrsman om a district that clus Boulr and Fort Colls as well as ral and mounta muni, has been shgggly, who-r gay for years. He do not nform to the clichéd gay stereotyp: He’s a techie nerd wh thng hair and an ungymmed physique, ever-prent blue sneakers and a wtern belt. Polis was first elected to Congrs 2008, though, the ual prenceptns about gay men preced him.
“All gay men are stylish, they dance well, they yada yada yada. The last gay ernor, Jim McGreevey of New Jersey, stepped down after announcg both his gayns and the affair that led to his rignatn. “There’s not a lot of gay people but they probably unrstand that.
DIPLOMATIC TENSN REPORTEDLY RISG BETWEEN UNED STAT AND JAMAI OVER GAY AMERIN DIPLOMAT
A momento mood surround the guratn of Healey, who not only beme the state’s first openly gay ernor but also s first elected female ernor and part of one of the untry’s first female ernor-litenant ernor duos. * gay governor *
They said, ‘My hairdrser of 30 years is gay. “It filled up a whole wall, ” he of the attacks were anti-Semic rather than homophobic, Mr.
Polis mentned the anti-gay sentiment he faced durg last year’s mpaign: sign facgs Eagle County, letters to the edor Walsenburg, homophobic slurs wrten shavg cream on his r. Polis’s vated ngrsnal seat as Colorado’s first Ain-Amerin ngrsman, and Brianna Tone as the first openly transgenr state state is not a gay mec the way New York, California or Florida are perceived to be — “The district I reprent, most of the time I reprented , didn’t have a sgle gay bar, ” Mr.
JAGUARS ASSOCIATE STRENGTH ACH OUT AS GAY A FIRST FOR US-BASED PRO LEAGU
California Gov. Gav Newsom attacked Temecula Valley school board members for rejectg a state-endorsed textbook that mentns late gay rights activist Harvey Milk. * gay governor *
” The first major Supreme Court victory for the gay-rights movement, Romer v.